Complex Predicates in Urdu - University of Washingtonfaculty.washington.edu/fxia/lsa2011-hindi-workshop/slides/ahmed_slides.pdfComplex Predicates I around 700 simple verbs in Urdu

Complex Predicates in Urdu

Tafseer Ahmed

Universitaet Konstanz

July 2011

Outline

Complex Predicates

Lights verbs used in Complex Predicates

Complex Predicates and Verb Classes

Conclusion and Future Work

Outline

Complex Predicates




Complex Predicates

I around 700 simple verbs in Urdu.

I many more complex predicates (Butt 1993)

I possible combinations: Adj + V, N + V, PP + V

nAdiyA=nENadya=Erg

yAsin=kOYasin=Acc

yAdmemory

ki-yAdo-Perf.M.Sg

’Nadya remembered Yasin.’ N+V complex predicate

nAdiyA=nENadya=Erg

mEztable.F.Sg

sAfclean

kIdo-Perf.F.Sg

’Nadya cleans a/the table.’ Adj+V complex predicate

Urdu Verbs and Agreement

Before the discussion of different types of potential complex predicates, we need to see the

agreement patterns of simple verbs and objects in Urdu/Hindi.

I When the subject is not marked by a case marker (ergativeetc.), then the verb agrees with the subject.

yAsInYasin.M.Sg

kitAbbook.F.Sg

paRH-tAread-Impf.M.Sg

heAux.Pres

’Yasin reads the book.’


I When the subject is marked by a case marker and the objectis unmarked, then the verb agrees with the object.

yAsIn=nEYasin.M.Sg=Erg

kitAbbook.F.Sg

paRH-Iread-Perf.F.Sg

’Yasin read the book.’

I When both the subject and the object are marked by casemarkers, then the verb has default (masculine singular)gender.

nAdiyA=nENadya.F.Sg=Erg

kitAb=kObook.F.Sg=Acc

paRH-Aread-Perf.M.Sg

’Nadya read the book.’




kitAbbook.F.Sg











kitAbbook.F.Sg








Types of (potential) Complex Predicates

1. The light verb does not agree with the noun.

2. The light verb may agree with the noun.

2.1 The noun does not have modifiers.2.2 The noun may have modifiers.


I Class 1: The light verb does not agree with the noun.I anjum=nE

Anjum=ErgnAdiyA=kONadya=Acc

yAdmemory

ki-yAdo-Perf.M.Sg

’Anjum remembered Nadya.’

I yAd ’memory’ is feminine in Urdu. However, it does not takepart in agreement scheme in yAd+kar complex predicates.

I Class 2: The light verb may agree with the noun.

I anjum=nEAnjum=Erg

nAdiyA=sENadya=Inst

behesdebate.F.Sg

k-Ido-Perf.F.Sg

’Anjum argued with Nadya.’


I Class 1: The light verb does not agree with the noun.I anjum=nE

Anjum=ErgnAdiyA=kONadya=Acc

yAdmemory

ki-yAdo-Perf.M.Sg

’Anjum remembered Nadya.’

I yAd ’memory’ is feminine in Urdu. However, it does not takepart in agreement scheme in yAd+kar complex predicates.

I Class 2: The light verb may agree with the noun.

I anjum=nEAnjum=Erg

nAdiyA=sENadya=Inst

behesdebate.F.Sg

k-Ido-Perf.F.Sg

’Anjum argued with Nadya.’


I Class 2.2: The noun of N+V complex predicates may havemodifiers.

I anjum=nEAnjum=Erg

nAdiyA=sENadya=Inst

savAlquestion.M.Sg

ki-yAdo-Perf.M.Sg

’Anjum asked Nadya.’

I anjum=nEAnjum=Erg

nAdiyA=sENadya=Inst

kAIseveral

accHEgood.M.Pl

savAlquestion.M.Pl

ki-Edo-Perf.M.Pl

’Anjum asked Nadya several good questions.’


I Class 2.2: The noun of N+V complex predicates may havemodifiers.

I anjum=nEAnjum=Erg

nAdiyA=sENadya=Inst

savAlquestion.M.Sg

ki-yAdo-Perf.M.Sg

’Anjum asked Nadya.’

I anjum=nEAnjum=Erg

nAdiyA=sENadya=Inst

kAIseveral

accHEgood.M.Pl

savAlquestion.M.Pl

ki-Edo-Perf.M.Pl


Does class 2 contain real complex predicate?

I Yes. Because the noun in these N+V sequences introduces anargument. (The verb kar ’do’ has two arguments.)

I N+kar ’do’ with dative kO marked argument: hidAyat’instruction/advice’, pESkaS ’offer’, ImEl ’email’

I N+kar ’do’ with sE (instrument) marked argument: SAdI’marriage’, laRAI ’fight’

I N+kar ’do’ with par (locative) marked argument: hamlA’attack’, EtrAz ’objection’

I N+kar ’do’ with k- (genitive) marking the noun: intizAr ’wait’,a ”



















More examples of class 2 complex predicates

just for revision. The sentences have an extra (third) argument.

I anjum=nEAnjum=Erg

nAdiyA=parNadya=Inst

EtrAzseveral

ki-yAobjection.M.Sg

do-Perf.M.Sg

’Anjum objected to Nadya.’

I anjum=nEAnjum=Erg

nAdiyA=sENadya=Inst

kAIseveral

accHEgood.M.Pl

savAlquestion.M.Pl

ki-Edo-Perf.M.Pl


Previous Work

I Mohanan (1993,1994) says that N+V sequences in which theverb agrees with the noun have a light verb.

I The noun is the syntactic object as well as part of thecomplex predicate.

I It is possible because these are related to different levels ofrepresentation (ARG STR and GF STR).

Modeling

I Urdu ParGram (PARallel GRAMmer), Universitaet Konstanz,Germany

I Grammar rules written using Lexical Functional Grammar(LFG) framework

I The N+V complex predicates of class 1 were alreadyimplemented in Urdu ParGram.

Modeling

nAdiyA=nENadya

kAmErg

SurUwork

kiyAstart do-Perf.M.Sg

Nadya started the work.F (Functional) Structure of the above sentence is:

Modeling

nAdiyA=nENadya

kAmErg

SurUwork

kiyAstart do-Perf.M.Sg

Nadya started the work.

F (Functional) Structure: A rough sketch

PRED kar <nAdiyA,SurU<kAm>>SUBJ nAdiyAOBJ kAm

SurU ’start’ is not the object.

Modeling

I We decided that class 2 have complex predicates.

I Thanks to Tracy King in the implementation of the grammerrule.

ModelingF-structure of

biccHU=nEscorpion=Erg

meNDak=sEfrog=Inst

behesdebate.F.Sg

k-Ido-Perf.F.Sg

The scorpion argued with the frog.’

Modeling

F-structure of


meNDak=sEfrog=Inst

behesdebate.F.Sg

k-Ido-Perf.F.Sg

The scorpion argued with the frog.’

F (Functional) Structure: A rough sketch

PRED kar<biccHU,behes<mENDak>>SUBJ biccHUOBJ behesOBL mENDak

behes ’debate’ is the object as well as part of the complexpredicate.

Modeling


meNDak=sEfrog=Inst

kAIseveral

accHIgood

bAtENdiscussion

k-INdo-Perf

The scorpion discussed several good things with the frog.’

bAT ’thing/matter’ has modifiers.

Outline

Complex Predicates




Light Verbs used in Complex Predicates

I Commonly used light verbs in N+V complex predicates:I kar ’do’I he ’be’I hO ’become’I rakH ’put’I rah ’stay’.

I These light verbs are related with aspect.


I us=nE3SG=Erg

sabaqlesson

yAdmemory

kiyAdo.Perf.M.Sg

He remembered/learnt the lesson.’

I us=kO3SG=Dat

sabaqlesson

yAdmemory

hU-Abecome-Perf.M.Sg

He remembers the lesson.’

I us=nE3SG=Erg

sabaqlesson

yAdmemory

rakH-Akeep-Perf.M.Sg

He kept the lesson remebered.’


I us=kO3SG=Dat

sabaqlesson

yAdmemory

hebe.Pres


I us=kO3SG=Dat

sabaqlesson

yAdmemory

rah-Astay-Perf

He remembered the lesson.’

Hence, we should not list the N+V complex predicates

as unrelated combinations like N1+V1, N1+V2, N2+V1,

...

We should focus on the noun (or adjective) part of

the complex predicate and find which light verbs

comes with this noun (or adjective).


I us=kO3SG=Dat

sabaqlesson

yAdmemory

hebe.Pres


I us=kO3SG=Dat

sabaqlesson

yAdmemory

rah-Astay-Perf

He remembered the lesson.’

Hence, we should not list the N+V complex predicates

as unrelated combinations like N1+V1, N1+V2, N2+V1,

...

We should focus on the noun (or adjective) part of

the complex predicate and find which light verbs

comes with this noun (or adjective).


There are other light verbs e.g A ’come’ and dE’give’ that forms N+V complex predicates. However,

these are not productive as the set of kar ’do’/ hO

’become’ verbs. These are discussed briefly at the

end of the presentation.

Outline

Complex Predicates




Verb Classes and Syntax

I Ahmed and Butt (2011) This work is done before I realized that there are

two more "aspectual" light verbs rakH and rah beside the light verbs presented in the

following.

I Commonly used light verbs in N+V complex predicates: kar’do’, he ’be’ and hO ’become’.

I Every noun does not occur with each of these light verbs.

I We follow Levin (1993)’s classic assumption that semanticpredicational classes can be identified on the basis of a studyof the syntactic contexts the predicates occur in.

Verb Classes and Syntax

I Ahmed and Butt (2011) This work is done before I realized that there are

two more "aspectual" light verbs rakH and rah beside the light verbs presented in the

following.

I Commonly used light verbs in N+V complex predicates: kar’do’, he ’be’ and hO ’become’.

I Every noun does not occur with each of these light verbs.

I We follow Levin (1993)’s classic assumption that semanticpredicational classes can be identified on the basis of a studyof the syntactic contexts the predicates occur in.

Methodology

I List of first 45 nouns occuring in N-V combination with eitherof the light verbs kar ’do’, he ’be’ and hO ’become’ in a POStagged corpus compiled by CRULP.

I A full set of combinatorial (im)possibilities of these nounscompiled by using native speaker judgment.

I An analysis of the resulting patterns identified distinctsemantically coherent classes/classification patterns.

I Pertinent semantic factors appear to be stative vs. eventivenouns, agentivity vs. experiencer verbs (psych predications)and the licensing of a dative recipient.

Methodology





Methodology





Verb Classes

I Class APysch verbs: yaqIn ’belief’, piyAr ’love’

Subj (Experiencer) Obj (Theme) N+kar ’do’Subj (Experiencer)=Dat Obj (Theme) N+ hO ’become’Subj (Experiencer)=Dat Obj (Theme) N+ he ’be’

I Class BMain pattern (38/45): ijAd ’invention’, tAmir ’construction’

Subj (Agent) Obj (Theme) N+kar ’do’Subj (Theme) N+hO ’become’/?he ’be’*Subj=Dat Obj N+hO ”become’/he ’be’

Verb Classes

I Class A

nAdiyA=kONadya.F.Sg=Dat

kahanistory.F.Sg.Nom

yAdmemory

hu-I/hebe.Perf-3.F.Sg/be.Pres-3.F.Sg

‘Nadya remembers/knows a/the story.’

I Class B

*(nAdiyah=kO)Nadya.F.Sg=Dat

makAnhouse.M.Sg.Nom

taa2mIrconstruction

hu-A/?hebe.Perf-3.M.Sg/be.Pres-3.M.Sg

‘A/the house got constructed./ A/the house is constructed.’

Other Verb Classes

Class C

I This class allows dative subject like class A. However, it doesnot allow N+hO ’become’ construction.

I nAdiyA=kONadya.F.Sg=Dat

yAsIn=kAYasin.M.Sg=Gen

intizArwaiting

he/*hu-Abe.Pres-3.M.Sg/be.Perf-3.M.Sg

‘Nadya waited for Yasin.’

I hO ’become’ does not work with these nouns because thesubject is too agentive to be felicitous as the undergoer of abecome predication.

Outline

Complex Predicates




Conclusions

I We find Urdu N+V complex predicates in which the noun partof the complex predicate also acts as the syntactic object andthe verb might agree with it.

I The noun of such complex predicates also allows modifiers.

I We find five light verbs kar and hO etc. that frequently follownouns in N+V complex predicate for ”aspectual” reasons.

I We find semantic classes of the nouns formed by(im)permissibility of the above mentioned light verbs.

Future Work

I There are other light verbs e.g A ’come’ and dE ’give’ thatforms N+V complex predicates. However, these are notproductive as the set of kar ’do’/ hO ’become’ verbs. Weguess that these are also related to semantic classes of noun,but it needs further investigation.

I We need to define rules to distinguish the borderline between:(i) main verb and canonical object(ii) main verb and object with idiomatic meaning(iii) N+V complex predicate.

Future Work

I Currently, we use argument structure clues for this distinction.Using this method [Arg par ’on’] zOr ’pressure’ dE ’give’might be a complex predicate because it has a par markedargument in place of canonical dative kO marked argument.

I However, the classification of [Arg kO ’on’] dhakkA ’push’ dE’give’ is more difficult as it has kO marked argument similar tothe canonical usage of dE ’give’.

References

Documents

Complex Predicates in Urdu - University of Washingtonfaculty.washington.edu/fxia/lsa2011-hindi-workshop/slides/ahmed_slides.pdfComplex Predicates I around 700 simple verbs in Urdu